According to Japanese analyst, Junko Yamamura of Nomura Securities, Nintendo will confirm its concepted design of the ‘NX’ around Q2 of this year with an expected official reveal the system in the month of June. This is all to ready the next generation console for release in October/November at the end of this year.
It goes without thought that E3 is the most logical approach when deciding to come out to the world with a grand new gaming announcement. So we can safely say “June” is in reference to E3, at this point.
Yamamura, mentions that he feels the NX may not be the third piece of Nintendo’s battalion in the industry. Instead, he feels the NX may cannibalise the already existing two…
We had previously thought that the NX launch would have only a limited impact on 3DS and Wii U sales as it is not being positioned as a successor to either console, but we have now altered our view because 3DS sales have been weakening a little recently, particularly in terms of software, as the machine enters its sixth year, and to factor in a harsher competitive climate and what happened to other existing consoles when new machines were launched in the past.
We still expect the NX to launch in 17/3. We have lowered our estimates for current consoles to reflect the present situation, fiercer competition, and what has happened in the past when new hardware is announced… We have reduced our operating profit forecasts for 16/3 by 5.7% and for 17/3–21/3 by 30.0–32.7%.
Judging from how the 3DS and Wii U have performed throughout their respective life thus far in the market, it’s hard to see this playing out any other way. It’s a far cry between both the 3DS and Wii U’s performances: the 3DS on one hand has done astonishingly well in each of its territories, increasing sales and expanding its user base for years now [despite a radical shift in the console market over the past 6 years]. Meanwhile, the Wii U has struggled in gaining momentum and even developer support outside of Nintendo’s first party studios.
Hosting 3 consoles on the market is a heavy feat for any company, especially when it’s time to market a whole new platform alongside 6 years of evolving the 3DS and the underachieving vision of Wii U. It’s an ambiguous topic on what Nintendo’s plans are with the 3Ds & Wii U, post-NX.
